


So I Would Choose to be With You, That’s if the Choice Were Mine to Make

by GothamOracle



Series: Piano Man [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, Movie Night, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Yavin 4, critiques of bad movie flying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23834284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothamOracle/pseuds/GothamOracle
Summary: Two months after the Resistance relocates to Yavin 4, and in the midst of setting up a new galactic governmental body, Poe and Rey have a quiet movie night in. A slip of the tongue leads to a confession Poe should have made a long time ago.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey
Series: Piano Man [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708480
Comments: 5
Kudos: 59





	So I Would Choose to be With You, That’s if the Choice Were Mine to Make

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to part 3 of the Piano Man series. This song was written to and titled from "And So It Goes" by Billy Joel. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the fic. A million thanks to my fantastic betareader Damerey_knows and Edenofalltrades who I bounced ideas off of! And the Damerey Discord Server for support.
> 
> I would love to hear your thoughts on the fic! Happy to report we have at least 2 more parts to this series! One is half written atm. :)
> 
> "So I would choose to be with you  
> That's if the choice were mine to make  
> But you can make decisions too  
> And you can have this heart to break"  
> \- And So It Goes

The holofilm being projected against the wall illuminated the otherwise dark room of his father’s house. After the chaos of another week-long galactic summit, Poe was grateful for a quiet night in. The last few months had been a time of change for Poe, his friends and the Resistance as a whole.   
  
Two months ago, the Resistance had officially relocated from Ajan Kloss to Yavin 4. The decision had caused much consternation for the other planetary representatives of the almost-working Republic Senate (though everyone agreed the name needed to be changed), because the Resistance had not asked their opinions. Poe had wasted no time in telling the representatives where they could “put their concerns,” or he would have if Connix hadn’t been present for that particular session.   
  
The Resistance had taken up residence in the Massassi Base that had been last used by the Rebel Alliance during the first war. For Poe the decision was a little selfish, he had wanted to be closer to his dad, but the move made sense. History rhymed, almost like poetry. The Resistance was built on what the Rebellion had started. Unlike Ajan Kloss, which was supposed to be a temporary base of operations, Yavin 4 linked every member of their organization back to its roots, back to Leia’s roots. When they’d had the opening ceremony Poe had said something similar and there hadn’t been a person in the room who hadn’t been on their feet cheering. Even now in peacetime, especially now, Leia was still with them.   
  
With the move to Yavin 4, many of the Resistance members had moved into the temple barracks. The old Massassi Base was bigger than the ones the organization had on either D’Qar or Ajan Kloss, which meant there was room for people to stay without being on top of one another. Finn and Rose had stayed on base, winning Poe ten credits when they’d chosen to share quarters. Rose had been given a promotion to Head Engineer while Finn, as general, split his time between on-base activities and his work with the ever-growing Storm Squadron.   
  
Poe had moved back into his father’s house. It wasn’t far from the base and after spending a good portion of his childhood playing and exploring the old Temple with his friends, living there didn’t really hold an appeal. There was something comforting about being home, even if he wasn’t always there. On top of his duties for the Resistance on planet, he was still working with the “galactic planetary kindergarten” and was away for at least a week every month.   
  
In between those week-long stints, Poe had started looking for a good spot to build a house of his own on the Dameron property. He knew this was where he wanted to be when he was done with his military service. He had hopes that those days would be done sooner than later. As it stood, the plan was for the Resistance to disband as a military organization once the last dredges of the First Order were hunted down and the new Galactic Senate (or whatever it would be called) was up and running. They were in talks about some of their people joining an overarching defense force in the future. But for now, there were always things to do.   
  
Thankfully, none of those things mattered right now. Tonight was about relaxing and having some fun. Poe had instituted a holo night at his dad’s once a week. Kes had brought an old projector out of the attic and the Dameron men, Rose, Finn, Rey – who had taken up residence in the guest house on the property not far from the uneti tree – and anyone else who was around, would crowd into the living room and watch something.   
  
Tonight it was just Poe and Rey. Everyone else had been busy and Kes was off planet visiting Wedge. Rey had almost suggested they cancel, but Poe had talked her into it with the promise of dinner and a holo that had lots of different ships in it. It was a classic, something Poe hadn’t seen in years and Rey never had. The two spent most of the film making small critiques on the sets and the methods the actors on screen were using   
  
Rey’s head had fallen onto Poe’s shoulder the last time she’d repositioned on the couch, something he didn’t mind at all. Her breathing was steady and the only way he knew she was still awake was the continued commentary.   
  
“The control panel is wrong,” she murmured as the commanding officer in the holo attempted to outrun an ion shot. “He’s setting dorsal shields not rear.”   
  
“It’s a film, it’s not completely accurate,” he chuckled. “But you’re right; he’d be dead right now if that was a real A-wing. Guess it’s a good thing these actors leave the real piloting to people like us.”   
  
“Can you imagine if they tried to do something like lightspeed skip?” she smirked.   
  
Poe looked down at her, an amused look on his face. “Never going to let that go, are you?”   
  
Rey sat up and stretched her arms over her head. “No, probably not. Honestly, now that it’s all over, I wish I’d been there with you when you did it…” she trailed off.   
  
That particular argument had been a sore spot. Tensions at the time had been high with the looming threat of the First Order, but today it didn’t make a difference. That argument was over and dead and they were both alive, something that Poe was more than grateful for, especially after she’d told him about Exegol.   
  
“Well if you’d let me take the Falcon up, I’d be more than happy to show you.” He was teasing, but the way she tensed, he could tell that she was hesitant about it.   
  
“Hey,” Poe reached over and put a hand on Rey’s shoulder, causing her to turn back to him. “We’re good, Sunshine. You can make fun of me about it. We all did stuff then to get the job done. So we could get to this.” He indicated the living room. Not exactly what he meant, the movie, but… no maybe that too.   
  
There was silence for a moment and Rey smiled but it faded into a thoughtful line.   
  
“You’ve never called me that before,” she noted.   
  
“Called you what?” Poe froze for a second wondering what he’d said. He’d thought he’d used her name but-   
  
“Sunshine.”   
  
No. He hadn’t.   
  
Sunshine. The word held a significant meaning ever since that night on Corellia. Before then actually. Poe had been calling her that in his head for more than a year, since just after she’d rescued them on Crait. It had been the nickname he’d used for her when talking with BB-8 (who was currently in his room charging), but he’d never used it aloud. He could have kicked himself. It was a slip of the tongue, but Rey was sharp. Of course she’d noticed.   
  
“I’m trying something new,” he grinned, trying to smooth over the slip and the awkwardness that he’d started feeling. But she looked up at him, her eyes holding a question and he saw something. A chance, maybe?   
  
Poe was used to taking chances on the battlefield, but this was different. He was pretty sure that there was a bet on them around base, because while he was trying to play it cool, he was in too deep to have eyes for anyone but her. So if this was a chance, why not take it?   
  
“It isn’t new,” he finally admitted. “I’ve been calling you that for a while, just not out loud.”   
  
Rey tilted her head to the side, taking in his expression. He’d gone from overly charming to pulled back in a matter of seconds. “You’ve never said. I like it. But… why?”   
  
She asked the question and he knew exactly what she was trying to figure out: ‘Sunshine. Why that word.’ Poe ran a hand through his hair. He’d taken down a planet-sized base, led the Resistance and stood up to rooms full of planetary dignitaries. This should be the easiest of them, but it wasn’t.   
  
“Because it’s you, Rey.” He brought his hand down to hers, giving it a quick squeeze.   
  
“Me?”   
  
“You,” Poe repeated, her eyes seemed to pierce his and he couldn’t look away. “What I said back on Corellia about wanting sunshine; I already knew where it was and where I’d find it.”   
  
Hesitantly, Poe brought a hand up, cupping Rey’s cheek, giving her time to pull away. If she didn’t want this, if she said no or stop or gave any indication, he’d drop it like a heated coil and wouldn’t bring it up again. But she didn’t. Instead she leaned into his touch, the light from the holo casting shadows across her face and making her eyes light up in the illumination of the projection.   
  
“It was you, Sunshine,” he whispered, his thumb brushing against her cheek. “It was always you.”   
  
He wasn’t sure which of them moved first, but the next moment his lips were against Rey’s, his arm around her waist pulling her close, hers looping around his neck. She kissed him back and he felt like he was soaring. Poe pulled back first, resting his forehead against hers. Their eyes met and he couldn’t help the smile that settled on his features as she ran her fingers through his curls.   
  
Poe’s arm around her waist pulled her tighter, wanting to be closer, while Rey curled into him more fully. He trailed a hand up and down her arm and could feel her warmth through the fabric of his shirt. Rey leaned her head against his shoulder again, her arm wrapping around him and for the first time in a long time Poe felt completely at ease.   
  
“Now that? That roll in that ship, the cockpit cover would pop right off,” she frowned, looking back at the screen.   
  
“I could do it,” he whispered into her ear with a grin. “I can fly anything.”   
  
“I think you mean  _ we _ , General,” she corrected. “Because I wouldn’t let you do something that suicidal without me there to help.”   
  
On Corellia, the last time it had been ‘Together’. Now it was ‘We.’ As long as they had one another, they could do this. Whatever ‘this’ turned out to be.


End file.
